"Pleasant Regency - Great Secondary Characters"

Alexander Devize returned home from the Peninsular Wars to assume his duties as the Earl of Standish. He has been gone for three years and in that time, though he has not heard from her, believes that his childhood best friend and sweetheart the beautiful Diana Sherwood will be waiting for him and they can be married. When he first sees her Diana is more beautiful than he remembers, and she's still single, but her animosity towards him comes as a bit of a shock.

Diana had loved Alex all her life, but he broke her heart when he chose to go to war rather than stay with her after a single night of passion. Her father had been a soldier killed in a war and she wanted a safe and dependable husband not a soldier. Diana hoped to find such a paragon as she and Alex's sister Sarah make their come-out debuts this season in London. Relentlessly nursing the hurt from Alex's choice so many years ago, she encourages the attentions of the admirable and handsome Earl of Rumford. Diana would not realize until it was almost too late that her headstrong choices would precipitate a series of treacherous deeds with serious repercussions.

*** As my first book by author Joan Wolf I was not overly impressed with this offering as I found many things problematic; the first and most serious being a very unlikable heroine in Diana and the almost 'lapdog' worship of Alex. The romance just didn't shine with the two leads. However, the secondary romances between Lady Sarah and the Duke of Sinclair, and Diana's mother Louisa and Sir Gilbert were much more agreeable and much easier to swallow.

Diana though she had reason in being at odds with Alex after he made the decision to go to war the very next day after having a passionate interlude with her was understandable but what wasn't was for her to continue with her mother to live on his estate and largesse. Also as first cousins, I was always under the impression that this was too close a family connection for marriage. Diana's admirer Robert, the Earl of Rumford was immensely likeable and this added further reasons to not like Diana who made it appear as if she was using him while she was still harboring romantic yearnings towards Alex.

The pace when featuring Diana and Alex was slow, but much more satisfying and faster with the lively romance between Sarah and her duke. I will not completely write off this author by this particular example of a lead couple's lack of chemistry as I was more than satisfied by the engaging secondary romance that shored up the disastrous pairing of the main couple. On the plus side, Wolf's writing of the Regency period was extremely well done with excellent research that will keep this reviewer on the watch for further offerings.

Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization

Courtesy of www.themysticcastle.com

Reviewed by Marilyn Rondeau
Posted February 21, 2007